Richard de saussure bacot



(No Model.)

R. DE S. BACOT.

RAIL.

No. 401,107. Patented Apr. 9,1889.

UNiTnn STnTns FnTnNT Prion.

RAIL..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,107, dated April 9,1889.

Application tiled December l5, 1888. Serial No. 293,678. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD DE SaUssURn BACOT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Columbia, in the county of Richland and State ofSouth Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rails, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The objecr of my invention is to provide an elastic rail, which greatlyreduces the wear and tear on the road and rolling-stock, to providemeans for connecting the joints in the laying of the rails, whileprotecting the abutting ends of the lower section of the rails from thewear incident to the method in general use, and to provide a cheap meansof repairing the rails arising from the peculiar construction of myrail, and whereby the danger of derailrnent while repairs are being madeis ohviated.

My invention consists of a rail in two partsviz., a flange or foothaving a web or shank like that of an ordinary T-rail, which togetherconstitutes the base of the rail,`and a grooved ball which iits over theweb of the base, so that the outer webs forming the walls of the grooveor jaws ot the ball secure the ball to the base-web and at the same timeconnect the successive sections of the base. The webs or jaws of theball are concave on their inner sides in the wake of the bolts. The endsof the base-sections are out with oblique faces, which tit against eachother in order to form a continuous support for the ball.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l isa view in perspective of the rail, showing its construction. Fig. 2 is across-section of the same. Fig. 3 shows my invention as applied to theremodeling ot' an old track, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the diagonaljoint in the base.

A is the rail, in which B is the ball, having the jaws or webs b b',forming the groove C.

D is the flange, and E is the web, forming the base-section.

F G is the joint in the base-sections, and ll I the joint in theball-sections.

c is the space left between the bottoni olf groove C and the top of webE of the basesection.

In Figs. l and 2 I have shown in the flange D grooves 7.; It" on eachside of web E, in which fit the ends of the jaws b b of ball B. In Fig.3 grooves k k are dispensed with.

In the figures, the webs b of ball B are shown concave to a slightextent at about the center of the webs in the wake of the bolts, theshape of groove C being such that the baseweb is confined at both thetop and bottom. The object of this concavity in the webs is tocompensate for the wearing of the rail and to prevent its working loose.

In Fig. l the joints ot the base-sections are diagonal, as shown atF G,in which ease they are held together and the ball l5 secured to the baseby a single bolt, the joints of the ball and of the base-sections,respectively, being broken. Such a joint is shown in dotted lines inFig. l. In this way I obtain the increased strength resulting from theuse of a single bolt in place of two in fastening the joint, because anincreased number of bolt-holes has a tendency to wea-ken both web andjaws, and the advantage of a diagonal joint in the base offering anunbroken support to the ball without exposing the base-webs to thedanger oi' chipping off of the feather ends formed on the base-webs attheir diagonal joint beneath the ball-a common occurrence when thediagonal joint extends entirely7 through the rail; but joints can bemade with bases havin the ordinary straight ends, the ball breakingjoint with the bases, as shown in Fig.

In Fig. 3 the joints of the base-sections are shown as at right anglesto the major axis of the rail, in whichcase a bolt is necessaryr on eachside ot the joint, as there shown. The bolt-holes in each instance areoblong to allow for the contraction and expansion of the rails, as iswell known.

The advantage obtained by the space c in the elasticity of the rail isvery great. It also allows for any slightvariation in the ends ot theabutting webs, arising from various wellltnown causes withoutinterfering with the general surface of the rail, and theseirregularities being covered by the ball all jar and shock in passingfrom one rail to the other is removed, thus overcoming to a great extentthe expense ot' resurfacing that has heretofore arisen therefrom. I varythe size of this space from one-sixteenth to one-thirty-second of aninch. Thus where the rail is very heavy IOO and exposed to the constantpassage of heavy rolling-stock, the space should not be less thanone-sixteenth; but where the rails are light the minimum ofone-thirty-second of an inch is sufficient.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the top of base-web E as arched, in whichform I prefer to use it, and in which case I also arch the bottom ofgroove C; but the form shown in Fig. 3 may also be used with goodresults.

Among numerous advantages arising from the'use of my improved rail arethe following: The expense of repairing the track is great-ly lessened,for since the wear of the rail is almost wholly confined to the ball allthat is necessary in making repairs is to replace the latter, which canbe done without disturbing the base, which remains permanently in place.Further than this, while the rail is being repaired, even after theremoval of the ball, a rail is still provided, by which the wheels maytraverse the section on the base-web should the necessity arise withoutdanger of derailment. By the use of these base-sections and the breakingof the joint with the ball-sections I am also enabled to secure a betterand more permanent alignment of the track on curves, because the joint'of the base comes directly in the center of the ball of the rail,so that the force tending to throw the curve out of alignment is that ofthe curve of only one-half of the length either of the ball orbase-section in place of that of the entire length of the rail, as inthe usual way. I am also enabled to remodel tracks already laid bysimply removing the ball of the ordinary T- rail and replacing withmyball without disturbing the old base. Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. In a rail, the combination of aflange and web section constitutingthe base and a grooved ball fitted thereto by means of webs integralwith the ball and concave in the wake of the bolts projecting from eachside of the ball clamping the base section, and having a space, c,between the top of the Websection and the bottom of the groove,substantially as described.

2. In a rail, the combination of a flange and web section constituting abase 'having diagonally-cut ends for forming the joints, and a groovedball with projecting webs or jaws fitting over the base-section,whereby, when a joint is formed, the sections are secured together andan unbroken base-section is provided for the support of the ball.

3. In a rail, the combination of a flange'and web section constituting abase having a groove on each side of the web and a grooved ball fittingover the base, and having webs or jaws concave in the wake of the bolts,the eX- tremities of which lt into the grooves on each side of thebase-section, and having a space, c, between the top of the basesectionand the bottom of the groove in the ball, as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a ball for a rail having a centralgroove and two downwardly-projecting Webs or jaws integral with theball, concave in the wake of the bolts, and adapted to be fitted overthe web of a flange and web section, the groove being of sufiicientdepth to leave a space, c, when applied to the base-section,substantially as described.

5. In a rail, the combination of a fiange and web section constitutingthe base and a grooved ball fitted thereto by means of Webs integralwith the ball, concave in the Wake of the bolt projecting from each sideof the ball and clamping the base-section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

RICHARD DE SAUSSURE BACOT.

Yitnessesz SCHUYLER DURYEE, WOODBURY LowERY.

